A new analysis has revealed that California farms applied millions of pounds of PFAS – commonly known as “forever chemicals” – to major crops over a five-year period, raising urgent concerns about food safety, environmental contamination, and farmworker health.
According to a comprehensive review of records from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, an average of 2.5 million pounds of PFAS-containing pesticides were sprayed annually between 2018 and 2023 on key crops including almonds, pistachios, tomatoes, alfalfa, and wine grapes. The findings were compiled by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG).
Experts warn that PFAS contamination is especially concerning in water-rich fruits and vegetables, as the chemicals bind easily to moisture and can accumulate at dangerous concentrations in produce. PFAS exposure also threatens groundwater supplies and poses disproportionate risks to low-income and Latino farmworkers who are routinely exposed.
Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice-president at EWG California, called the findings an “obvious problem”, emphasizing that each pound of PFAS introduced into the environment elevates contamination risk. “It makes no sense to deliberately spray forever chemicals on the food that sustains us,” Del Chiaro said.
PFAS, a class of more than 16,000 compounds, are widely used for their ability to repel heat, water, and stains. They are labeled forever chemicals because they do not naturally break down and are linked to serious health conditions including cancer, liver disease, immune dysfunction, kidney disorders, and birth defects.
The alarm over PFAS in pesticides began sounding in 2023, but federal oversight remains contentious. Under the Biden administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency questioned early research identifying PFAS in pesticides. Under Donald Trump, approvals for PFAS use in pesticides expanded, even as studies showed that over 60 percent of pesticide ingredients approved in the last decade fall under the PFAS classification.
EWG’s new report identified 51 PFAS chemicals used across 58 counties in California, with the highest concentrations found in Fresno, Kern, San Joaquin, Napa, and Riverside. Many of these compounds are short-chain PFAS, which spread more widely in the environment and often break down into trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) — now accumulating globally at unprecedented levels.
Despite industry claims that short-chain PFAS are safer, researchers say the available health data suggest otherwise. Many PFAS compounds may persist in the environment for hundreds to thousands of years.
The European Union has already banned multiple PFAS pesticides, including bifenthrin and trifluralin — both heavily used in California.
“There’s absolutely a risk,” said EWG scientist David Andrews, who co-authored the report. “PFAS in pesticides add to our total exposure, and there remains a great deal of uncertainty about their long-term impacts.”
